I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game

For nearly half an hour, we trailed behind No-name along the city wall's perimeter.

"Don't trust an unknown entity so easily! This could be a trap!"

Lucas had been nagging me consistently, his warnings sounding like clockwork every five minutes. Was he a human metronome, his concerns chiming exactly on the fifth minute?

"It's fine, I told you. Let's just follow for now."

I placated Lucas and guided our party onwards.

After what seemed like an eternity, No-name abruptly halted. The party members, caught off guard, all came to an abrupt stop, their weapons raised in anticipation.

"Here."

No-name indicated the city wall. On closer inspection, a derelict water facility was revealed. It had long ceased its function, dried out entirely.

No-name led the way into the disused drain.

"Inside here, a path leads to the city. Be careful, it's slippery."

We had to stoop low to navigate the narrow drain, and after about five minutes, the space expanded. As I straightened my back to examine our surroundings, a system notification appeared, informing us of our new location.

[Zone 1: The Dried Sewer]

We had finally reached the first zone of the Lake Kingdom dungeon.

This area was the convergence point of the city's entire water system. Devoid of any hint of moisture, the maze-like network of drains extended outwards.

A constant illumination spell had been cast on the magic stone embedded in the ceiling, brightly lighting up the space.

Beneath that magic stone, a mound of stones, akin to the ones found in my mansion's backyard, was piled up.

As I approached and made contact with it, the stones began to churn and rise, activating the teleportation gate in the process.

['Zone 1: The Dried Sewer' connection point has been established!]

Connection point.

It was a monster-free safe zone, typically installed at the starting point of each zone.

Once the teleportation gate was activated, we could resume our exploration from this point next time.

The standard practice of open exploration was to discover the hidden connection points throughout the city, link the teleportation gates, and repeat the cycle of exploration and return.

As Lilly confirmed that the teleportation gate had been activated, she implored me, her eyes wide with fright.

"Can't I return from here?! Please?!"

"Nope, you can't."

Did she think we'd lugged all these supplies and assembled a full party only to pave the way up to here? We needed to at least clear one zone before departing.

As I attempted to calm the increasingly panicked Lilly, No-name, who had been standing in the distance, spoke with an air of detachment.

"My guidance ends here. From now on, your path forward must be of your own choosing."

"Thank you for leading us this far, No-name."

After a moment of hesitation, No-name released a deep sigh.

"I warn you. This Lake Kingdom is wholly steeped in nightmares. The further you proceed, the darker it will become, and the monsters will grow increasingly formidable."

Her usually dry voice carried a note of genuine concern this time.

"But if you are determined to venture into the abyss, I have a piece of advice."

No-name whispered, punctuating each word for emphasis.

"Never, ever, extinguish the flame."

"..."

"I hope there are blessings on your journey ahead."

With those words lingering in the air, the nameless woman slowly receded into the darkness until she vanished entirely.

Lucas, who had been observing the nameless woman with a cautious gaze until her departure, mumbled.

"What's her story? How does she exist in a city beneath this lake?"

"Well...."

At that moment, Damien, who was huddled close behind me, voiced his fear in a trembling tone.

"Prince. This darkness feels peculiar. I can't see beyond it with my own eyes. It's as if... the darkness itself is alive."

"...."

"But how does that woman... navigate this darkness without a torch?"

I found myself unable to provide an answer.

There were innumerable mysteries in this dungeon, still unknown to even me, someone who had conquered this game on its highest difficulty setting.

But there was one thing I knew for sure.

"We'll encounter her again. We can ask her then."

In this underwater domain, our paths were bound to cross once more.

Whether as foes or allies, in whatever circumstance.

***

At our first base, we hastily finished our preparations.

We quenched our thirst with water, each taking a morsel from our stock of preserved food.

"Can, can, can, can I really get home safely....?"

Apart from Lilly, who was trembling in fear, everyone else appeared composed.

Jupiter tenderly comforted the frightened Lilly.

"Fret not, miss. I'll ensure your safety."

"Re, really? Are you, Jupiter, going to protect me?"

"Of course, just trust in me."

Just as I was pondering over Jupiter's unusual warmth,

"Just make sure to compensate me with a protection fee of a thousand Adels."

True to form, she was attempting to swindle us....

"I'll pay! I'll pay you right now!"

I promptly intervened, stopping Lilly, who was on the verge of hastily extracting her wallet. Hold on, hold on!

"Hey Jupiter! Stop exploiting this child for money!"

"Tsk, you got me."

Jupiter grumbled and retreated. This old rogue!

Sighing, I reassured Lilly.

"Don't worry, Lilly. We'll all make it back safely."

"Is, is that genuinely true, Your Highness....?"

This is the initial exploration area. In reality, the difficulty is relatively low. Would I have brought you, who struggle with mobility, if it was too hazardous?

After calming Lilly, I attentively examined the system window.

[Zone 1: The Dried Sewer]

- Clear progress: Normal room 0/3 Boss room 0/1

- Acquired Treasure Boxes: 0/2

Zone 1, The Dried Sewer.

Appropriately, the first exploration area was straightforward.

A simple dungeon composed of three regular rooms and one boss room. The path is direct, no need to meander.

Commencing from the base, the player must traverse through the dungeon to the exit, which is the boss room.

You can bypass the regular rooms by exploiting the system, but the boss room must be cleared through combat.

"Alright, is everyone ready?"

Once our maintenance break concluded, I surveyed the members of my group and gave a nod of approval.

"If we play according to our current skills, we should be able to navigate through this without much difficulty. Let's go!"

We filed into formation and started our journey from the base.

Lucas took the lead, with me following closely. Lilly, Jupiter, and Damien formed our rear guard.

As soon as we stepped out from the base, a crushing wave of darkness descended upon us, churning and restless.

The group instinctively lifted their torches and lanterns.

The encroaching darkness retreated.

"..."

"..."

Silence engulfed us.

"Let's proceed..."

I suggested.

We moved at a deliberate pace.

Our path led us through a winding sewer, seemingly infinite in its expanse.

Even though the place was arid, it gave off an unsettling sensation of dampness.

Lucas grumbled as he examined the wall with his torch.

"A passageway within the sewer... How far does it extend?"

"It'll conclude soon."

True to my word, the pathway did eventually terminate, opening up into a vast chamber - the first room of this exploration zone.

The dungeons in this game are typically comprised of rooms and corridors.

Rooms harbor unpredictable events like battles against foes, the discovery of items, or encounters with non-playable characters (NPCs).

And the inaugural event of this room was...

Creak!

Squeak! Squeak!

A skirmish.

The instant we stepped into the room, roughly a dozen colossal sewer rats scurried out from the walls, floor, and even from above.

"Eeeeek?! Rats?!"

Lilly's reaction was one of terror. I realized her courage was easily tested...

[Dried-up Sewer - Room 1]

- Defeat all enemies!

- Lv.3 Giant Sewer Rats: 14 entities

These were level 3 monsters. Their sheer number demanded caution, but individually, they posed little threat.

"Lucas. Hold the front line. Prioritize defense over attack. Simply fend off the ones that get too close."

"Understood, sir."

"Damien, target them from afar. Their craniums are robust so aim for their eyes or throat."

"Affirmative, Your Highness."

"Jupiter, Lilly. Conserve your magical energy. Attack only those that breach Lucas' defensive line."

There was no reason to squander the magical prowess of our spellcasters in this situation.

I allocated combat instructions exclusively to Lucas and Damien, while instructing Jupiter and Lilly to maintain a defensive position.

Lucas unsheathed his longsword and stepped forward, while Damien readied his crossbow. Jupiter and Lilly each retreated a step.

And as for me? What was my role?

Well, simply to enjoy the unfolding spectacle. I reclined, observing with a relaxed posture.

Squeak!

Squeak squeak!

The horde of colossal sewer rats, eyes ablaze with a menacing red, attacked from every direction.

In response, Damien released a volley of arrows from his crossbow.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The arrows, slicing effortlessly through the air, struck their targets precisely, hitting the rats' eyes.

Squeak?!

Thud!

The body of a rat, felled in a single strike, rolled lifelessly on the floor with a dull thud.

Yet, as I had pointed out numerous times, Damien's aim was sharp, but not swift.

By the time the third rat was felled by an arrow, the rest had already swarmed Lucas.

"Ugh!"

With a broad arc, Lucas slashed his sword through the air.

Flash-!

With the sword's radiance, the lead rat's throat was sliced open, and it toppled over.

Lucas's level was already an impressive 29. As expected of a top-tier character, his stat progression was remarkable.

In terms of abilities, the rats were hopelessly outmatched.

Flash! Flash-!

Each time the sword's luminescence cleaved through the darkness and flickered, a rat sprayed blood and fell over.

The hulking rats couldn't breach Lucas's defensive front, and they sequentially fell to Lucas's sword and Damien's precise arrows.

Thus, in a relatively short span, every rat had been dispatched.

Lucas flicked the blood from his blade, and Damien, exhaling a sigh, lowered his crossbow.

I chuckled.

"You all did splendidly~ It wasn't much trouble, was it?"

"Indeed. It was less stressful than anticipated."

Damien responded with a faintly weary smile.

The foes we had previously encountered included the Black Spider Legion and the Living Armor Legion.

In comparison to those menacing adversaries, these rats almost seemed endearing.

Just then, Lucas, who was inspecting the lifeless rats, beckoned me.

"There are thirteen in total, Your Highness. Should we collect the magic stones?"

"No. The grade is low, and there won't be many... Wait a minute."

My words halted abruptly. Thirteen?

I was positive that the game's info window had specified fourteen....

Chirp-!

In that instant.

A shriek echoed from above.

"?!"

Startled, I looked up, locking gazes with the blood-red eyes of a creature plummeting from the ceiling.

The final giant rat. It had cunningly used the ceiling's darkness to approach and was now launching itself directly at me.

Most likely, it had singled me out due to my lower level.

"Your Highness?!"

"Damn it, too late...!"

Damien and Lucas cried out in alarm.

It was too late for Jupiter and Lilly to conjure their spells.

The rat was too close to me, if they invoked their magic now, I would be caught in the crossfire.

'What to do? How should I-'

Then it dawned on me. I remembered the glove I was wearing.

The top-tier luck-based weapon, Lucky Strike.

As I thought about it, it was right there on my hand.

The situation was dire, and my decision swift.

"Screw it!"

It was do or die!

No matter how strategically you play a game, there comes a point where you must entrust your fate to the toss of a coin.

Believing this to be such a moment, I launched my fist forward with all my might.

My fist met the rat's jaw, and...

Ding.

In that moment, a slot machine interface materialized in the periphery of my vision. What?!

Three panels featuring numbers from 0 to 7 spun vertically at a rapid pace, then halted one after another. Ding. Ding. Ding!

And the numbers that were revealed were...

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